Electronic device for performing wireless communication and operating method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a plurality of antenna elements, each including at least one antenna, configured for at least one operation of a wireless communication operation with a first external device and a wireless power transmission operation to a second external device, a memory including computer-executable instructions, a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions by accessing the memory, wherein when executed by the processor, the computer-executable instructions configure the electronic device to: determine whether a wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on the electronic device operating with power less than or equal to threshold power, and maintain wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements and transmit a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 a plurality of antenna elements, each antenna element including at least one antenna, configured for at least one operation of a wireless communication operation with a first external device and a wireless power transmission operation to a second external device;   at least one processor comprising processing circuitry; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
 determine whether a wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on the electronic device operating with power less than or equal to a threshold power; and 
 maintain wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements and transmit a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electric device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 configure the plurality of antenna elements for a wireless communication operation with the first external device;   based on the wireless power transmission function to the second external device being enabled, allocate at least one antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements for a wireless power transmission operation to a second external device; and   based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintain wireless communication with the first external device through at least one remaining antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements and transmit a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device using the at least one antenna element.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintain wireless communication with the first external device through at least one remaining antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements in a first frequency band,   and transmit a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device using the at least one antenna element in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 based on the wireless power transmission function being disabled, maintain the wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements based on the wireless power transmission function being disabled.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, exclude the plurality of antenna elements from an allocation to the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, maintain the wireless communication with the first external device through at least a portion of the plurality of antenna elements, independently from whether the wireless power transmission function is enabled.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power and the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintain the wireless communication with the first external device through an antenna element allocated to the wireless communication operation with the first external device among the plurality antenna elements based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled; and   based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, allocate an antenna element allocated to the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device to the wireless communication operation with the first external device.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 store, as enabled, a wireless power transmission flag indicating whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on an input to enable the wireless power transmission function being received;   store, as disabled, the wireless power transmission flag as disabled based on an input to disable the wireless power transmission function being received; and   determine whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on the stored wireless power transmission flag.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an additional antenna element including at least one antenna configured for wireless communication operation with a third external device, and   wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:   perform wireless communication with the third external device through the additional antenna element.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic device to:
 perform the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device and the wireless communication operation with the third external device through a time division scheme based on at least a portion of a frequency band for the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device overlapping a frequency band for the wireless communication operation with the third external device.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
 determining whether a wireless power transmission function to a second external device is enabled based on the electronic device operating with power less than or equal to a threshold power; and   maintaining wireless communication with a first external device through a plurality of antenna elements and transmitting a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 configuring the plurality of antenna elements for a wireless communication operation with the first external device; and   wherein the maintaining of the wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements and the transmitting of the signal for the wireless power transmission to the second external device comprises:   based on the wireless power transmission function to the second external device being enabled, allocating at least one antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements for a wireless power transmission operation to the second external device; and   based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintaining wireless communication with the first external device through at least one remaining antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements and transmitting a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device using the at least one antenna element.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the maintaining of the wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements and the transmitting of the signal for the wireless power transmission to the second external device comprises:
 based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintaining wireless communication with the first external device through at least one remaining antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements in a first frequency band, and transmitting a signal for wireless power transmission to the second external device using the at least one antenna element in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 based on the wireless power transmission function being disabled, maintaining the wireless communication with the first external device through the plurality of antenna elements based on the wireless power transmission function being disabled.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, excluding the plurality of antenna elements from an allocation to the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the excluding of the plurality of antenna elements from the allocation to the wireless power transmission operation comprises based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, maintaining the wireless communication with the first external device through at least a portion of the plurality of antenna elements, independently from whether the wireless power transmission function is enabled. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the excluding of the plurality of antenna elements from the allocation to the wireless power transmission operation comprises:
 based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power and the wireless power transmission function being enabled, maintaining the wireless communication with the first external device through an antenna element allocated to the wireless communication operation with the first external device among the plurality antenna elements based on the wireless power transmission function being enabled; and   based on the electronic device operating with power greater than the threshold power, allocating an antenna element allocated to the wireless power transmission operation to the second external device to the wireless communication operation with the first external device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing, as enabled, a wireless power transmission flag indicating whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on an input to enable the wireless power transmission function being received; and   storing, as disabled, the wireless power transmission flag as disabled based on an input to disable the wireless power transmission function is received,   wherein the determining of whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled comprises determining whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled based on the stored wireless power transmission flag.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein whether the wireless power transmission function to the second external device is enabled is set based on user input.